Wandering Eyes
by AggieLeigh
Summary: After a painful breakup with Ron, Hermione is thrust into the center of the Death Eaters' latest plan with Draco Malfoy. Romance ensues!
1. The Breakup

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**AN: My first fanfiction after years of reading these anonymously. Wish me luck! :)**

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><p>The library at Hogwarts was well known as one of the most peaceful and soothing places in the castle. Its stoned walls were filled with shelves housing magical books that hummed powerfully with knowledge, encasing the room in an ethereal atmosphere. Any stress that brought itself unto a person could easily be washed away by the soothing distraction of newly learned information. This was Hermione's sanctuary.<p>

She sat there now, choosing the most secluded corner possible to envelope herself in a book. She leaned back into one of those stiff chairs and was wrapped in a conjured blanket, shaking slightly. The Reactionary Stirring tome on the table in front of her had been sitting on the same page for a while as Hermione had her head resting tensely on the side of her chair. Small tears slid down her bottom lashes as Hermione furrowed her brow in anger.

Ronald Weasley was an idiot.

After half a year of being official with the redhead, Hermione realized what had been itching at the edge of her happiness. It happened nearly every time she was with him in the past – how could she not have realized? Walking through Hogsmeade, in the Great Hall, even in the ever-hated Potions class. Ron had a problem. An intolerable problem: he couldn't keep his eyes to himself.

At first, Hermione felt a little foolish for even thinking that Ron would behave that way – he loved her! But as time went on and they went on more dates, she noticed it happening more and more. Almost every time they were together his eyes would stray to that woman in red with her heels on. There was always a different lady he would ogle, but they seemed like the same to her, the perfect woman that she wasn't.

Hermione struggled to convince herself that this was petty, but as it kept occurring, her chest would grow tighter and her body would ache. Ronald was the man she was supposed to be with, so why did the ache in her heart grow every time she saw him now?

Then there was that cursed day.

In potions class two weeks ago, Professor Snape assigned partners to work on a simple Pepper-Up potion. Harry was partnered with Millicent Bulstrode, herself with Draco Malfoy, and Ron with Astoria Greengrass. It was the typical Gryffindor/Slytherin enemy partnership that the Professor seemed to enjoy.

Hermione was setting up her station as Draco collected ingredients when she glanced to Ronald's side of the room. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that as Astoria was bending slightly over their cauldron, Ron was eyeing the cleavage she revealed by her movement. He even tipped his chin up to get a better view! Instantly her pulse starting pounding and tears glazed Hermione's eyes.

Draco, in an uncommonly amiable mood, noticed Hermione's trembling hands adding ingredients to their now simmering potion and looked to her eyes discretely. The edge of his lip turned down a fraction at the chaotic emotion he saw.

"What the hell?" he wondered.

Hermione was stiffly stirring their potion and Draco was more than a little confused, even if he didn't really care.

Out of curiosity, Draco looked at the Weasel's workbench and saw whom he was working with.

"Astoria," he thought, understanding a little better.

He continued to watch the two work and noticed the Weasel's reaction when Astoria went to add some chopped merlots in their cauldron. With a mixture between a mental sigh and a grimace he turned back to his potion.

"Granger, you might want to tighten your weasel's leash."

Hermione's head whipped towards Draco in shock.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?"

Hermione's heart was fluttering with hurt already, but she didn't want to accept what she had seen.

"Your weasel-rat boyfriend needs to learn some manners. Especially when that blood traitor thinks he can check out one of our purebloods. He can stick to your mudblood scum."

Hermione stubbornly responded to his harshness, "Ronald would never be so low as to bother to do that! Besides, they're working on a potion that needs concentration! So.. so just shut up Malfoy!"

Draco chuckled darkly and whispered, "Granger, don't be so damn naïve. Even a mudblood should know better than that."

Hermione's hands continued to shakily add ingredients and stir their almost finished potion. Draco smirked knowing that she finally got the point. But as that feeling of accomplishment settled into his shoulders after her "defeat", he couldn't help the strange prickle he felt as well. "Stupid mudblood," he thought.

Hermione finished up their pest of a Pepper-Up and glanced again at Ron and Astoria's worktable. She watched unnoticed as Ron's eyes seemed drawn toward certain areas repeatedly. As the beautiful witch sat down, Ron leant closer to her, even touching her shoulder slightly while saying something with a cheesy smile.

Having enough, Hermione bottled their potion and as Draco went to grab the flask, she snatched it out of his reach, standing to bring it to Professor Snape. Without any remark from the Professor, Hermione watched her boyfriend's table as she marched back to her seat.

Harry, at his table, seemed to notice nothing in his misery with Bulstrode. Millicent had botched up a section of flubberworm, so they had to add newly prepared ones to the dangerously spewing cauldron.

Sitting with a sigh of mixed feelings, Hermione pulled out something that would never fail her: a book.

The rest of the class passed quickly, Draco even began reading without her noticing. As the class was dismissed, she firmed within herself that this wandering eye issue of Ronald's must be confronted. She was Hermione Granger, dammit! Tucking her chair under the desk with more force than necessary, she resolutely sought Ron only to see him saying some parting words to Astoria (he didn't even like Slytherins!).

Tapping him on the shoulder she ground out, "We need to talk, Ronald. Meet me in the Common Room after dinner."

Not giving the idiot a chance to reply, she strode out of Potions class shocking the other students and Professor Snape himself with her likeness to a certain infamous dungeon bat.

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><p>Needless to say, Draco was right.<p>

Her back constricted with strain, Hermione continued to ball up in the uncomfortable library chair. Thinking back on the conversation she had with Ronald the night of the potions agony, she was saddened.

Even being the courageous Gryffindor Hermione was, her bravery almost ran short when it came to confronting Ron with his despicable actions.

Ronald finally arrived in the common room and sat next to his girlfriend without much care, slouching and scratching himself absently.

The conversation that followed was enough to leave Hermione certain that he would never change his behavior.

"Ron. I've been noticing you looking at other girls. And I want it to end."

He jumped out of his chair quickly and stood over Hermione with the shock and false justice of an accused. His hair even seemed to stand on end.

"What are you talking about Hermione! Why the hell would I be looking at other girls? You're my girl and I don't need any one else!"

Hermione glared at him angrily. The liar! In the end it was certain what he had been doing, she just wanted it to stop.

They continued arguing until Hermione gave up. She did not deserve a man who not only would look at others without care, but who would lie to her.

Walking to her dormitories, Hermione left Ron red-faced and said, "Its over Ronald. I have loved you for so long, but I don't deserve to be treated like this by anyone."

Ron stood there watching her disappear into the darkness with wild eyes.

Cracking her neck, Hermione dried the last of her traitorous tears and turned a page in Reactionary Stirring. She read with more attention and let her innate interest begin to take her away from thoughts of Ron.

She smoothly stretched her legs out beneath the table as Draco walked lightly to her back area of the library.

Draco had heard about the Weasley/Granger break up and was not surprised. Even he knew women shouldn't be treated like that, even if they were mudblood women. Mulling in thought, he recalled seeing the Weasel-Rat's ugly face in the Great Hall shouting at Potter about something earlier that day. What a fool. Granger deserved better for sure. As soon as that thought entered his shocked mind, he silently turned a shelving corner and took sight of Granger wrapped in her blanket and studies.

He saw that her eyes were a little pink and felt disgusted with himself for noticing. Draco took in the whole sight of her and again subconsciously called Ron a fool. Feeling uncomfortable for looking at Granger at all, he changed his route and decided to research something else instead, preferably in a different section entirely.

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><p>That night as the castle slept, a crowd of death-eaters trailed through the forbidden forest with flames on the tip of their wands for eerie light. They grouped in a circle, all placing their flame towards the center of the group to light a huge bonfire in the middle of the forest. Flames ate up the wood (prepared by a lackey earlier) and trailed waves of heat over the cloaked men.<p>

A taller man that parted the crowd stepped up on a chopped tree trunk, took off his pearly white mask, and smiled sickly at his audience. Voldemort would certainly be proud of him tonight.


	2. The Dark Plot

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**

**AN: Thank you for giving my story a chance. Hopefully y'all get some entertainment out of this! : )**

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><p>Hermione woke with her face pressed into the side of Crookshanks' bright fur. "He could be the sun himself!" she mused happily.<p>

She rose from her bed feeling oddly energetic. After her morning ritual, Hermione grabbed her bag, kissed Crooky sweetly on the nose, turned off her lamp and headed toward the Great Hall.

She had no idea, but it would be her last morning like that for a while.

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><p>Draco saw her when she came nearly skipping in for breakfast. That typical Gryffindor glow was back on her face, to his annoyance. He made small talk with the grumpy Slytherins sitting near him and helped himself to eggs and something called a toaster strudel. Apparently, someone had been introducing new recipes to the house elves recently, not that he was complaining.<p>

Theodore Nott caught Draco's attention when he started whispering about the dark side's new happenings to Blaise Zabini.

"So.. my father has been talking about this new genius Death Eater called Gecrimh. Man, I don't know where the Dark Lord found this guy, but Gecrimh already has a major plan for the downfall of the Light."

"What?" Blaise gasped.

"I didn't believe it, but father flooed me after his meeting last night pretty freaking excited, man, and I haven't seen him like that in a while", Theo remarked enthusiastically.

"Well, what are they going to do then, shovel some manure on the Order's safe house to run 'em out?" Blaise joked. Draco snickered.

"Come on man, this is serious!" Theo got riled up at this. "Gecrimh has this planned out. I can feel it! Father couldn't tell me more, but this is gonna shake some stuff up, Blaise man." Theodore looked at Draco then, "And dude.. I think your father has something to do with it. Man, this is sick! I'm so excited!"

Like an explosion, Theodore jumped on his bench, grabbed his glass of pumpkin juice and chugged the rest of it with crazed enthusiasm. Trails of frothy orange dripped down his face and he slammed his cup back down on the table. "Heck yeahhh, MAN!"

Every one in the hall was staring at him. The professors were torn between amusement and horror (mostly McGonagall and Snape).

"Damn, he isn't discrete," Draco chuckled to Blaise. Smirking, the two continued their breakfast in very good humor.

Draco's eyes, still gleaming with humor, sought a certain Gryffindor and saw her smiling in such a painfully pretty way to the Weaselette. Merlin. He averted his eyes like a bullet.

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><p>Hermione was beyond surprised when Theodore Nott erupted from the normally quiet Slytherin table and downed his drink. It made for a hilarious sight and a lot of the Gryffindors were guffawing in good humor – some even started chugging their own pumpkin juice not to be shown up.<p>

The blond who was sitting so near to Nott caught Hermione's attention more than any thing else. "Smirking as usual," she thought, amused. The light of a good mood was showing in Draco's eyes and it took a second for Hermione to remember that this was Draco Malfoy she was looking at. But she couldn't help but to think that he was kind of handsome when his eyes shone like that.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione noticed Ronald staring at her. Chin rested on his knuckles; he wasn't even eating as he usually did. And why did Harry seem so distant? "How strange," she thought vaguely.

Feeling a little perturbed and very giddy from the hall's energy, Hermione turned to the giggling Ginny who was watching Terry Boot attempt a "Nott". (great, a nickname for it!)

"Ginny, I was wondering if you'd like to paint our toenails together in my dorm tonight." Hermione smiled in a friendly way.

Ginny froze in her giggle and stared at Hermione like she'd seen a ghost hula-dancing. "Uhhhh… Hermione? Are you okay?"

Hermione grinned and was amused at herself for such a suggestion, but she was in such a good mood! "Yes, of course Ginny! I just want to do something girly for once."

Beaming at each other, Ginny nodded "Okay, we can meet up at 7 in your dorm. Have some small towels and I'll bring the polish and lotion!"

The girls giggled and enjoyed the bliss of being happy and young.

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><p>After their last class of the day, the golden trio made their way awkwardly to the Great Hall for dinner. Ron was acting very distant all day, not noticing when others spoke to him and continually staring off into space. Harry could feel the rift and tension between the exes, but chose to keep quiet rather than hear the two argue up a headache like usual. Hermione wasn't going to let this ruin her strangely good mood, though, so she brushed Harry's elbow and fought the weirdness.<p>

After an uneventful dinner, the trio awkwardly walked to the common room making small talk about things friends who'd fought a Dark Lord together shouldn't have to be using to fill in.

Spotting Ginny through the portrait put the weight off her shoulders and Hermione grew excited again. "Ginny! Its 6 already!" The girls smiled and Ginny reminded Hermione about her "toe" supplies.

"Okay, I'll go get some clean cloths and snacks from the kitchen so that it can be a real girl night!" Giggling, Hermione left the common room with a sigh of relief. Time for the fun to start – without those stupid boys!

Unbeknownst to her, a dark figure slipped out of the portrait a few seconds after.

Reaching the painting to tickle the pear, Hermione entered and smelled the delicious aroma of the kitchen. After years of being around Hermione due to Harry, Dobby popped up immediately to see how he could help her.

"What c-can Dobby get you, Miss?"

"Hi Dobby! Would you mind bringing me a few small cloths, a bit of chocolate and some munchies?" Hermione felt annoyed with herself for finally giving in about S.P.E.W., but most elves didn't mind serving and enjoyed making others happy, so she tried not to let their mistreatment bother her anymore.

Popping back, Dobby had every thing perfectly prepared for her girl's night. A tray of chocolate fondant, strawberries, crunchy chips, pretzels, and a circle in the middle filled with Bertie Bott's greeted her almost glimmering in its tastiness.

"Thank you Dobby, you're always so helpful!"

"Anything for Harry Potter's friend!" Dobby quailed.

Feeling content, Hermione left with her treats.

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><p>Draco stood at his window observing an odd package his father sent him earlier that evening. With a tilt in his brow, he read the note that was attached to the top of the parcel, which was charmed to release only for his fingers.<p>

_Draco,_

_You must keep this item on your possession at all times from now on. This may be hard to believe but it is an order directly from the Dark Lord. Do not fail this simple task and bring dishonor to the Malfoy name. Keep it with you and remember our tradition and belief. Never forget what we have taught you, Draco. Your mother misses and loves you._

_Sincerely,_

_your Father_

_L.M._

Still staring at the package, Draco untied the tarp string and ripped off the encasing with more care than he would usually use.

Inside the box laid an item that looked too bizarre to actually exist.

It was a tiny clear blown-glass sculpture in the shape of a figure-eight. On each side of the outermost curved parts of the glass were seven almost unnoticeable holes. Looking at the object curiously, Draco noticed the presence of many tiny golden particles circling the sculpture infinitely within its design. Smoothing his thumb over the surface of the glass, Draco delicately placed it in his shirt pocket and pulled out his last minute Charms essay to finish.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so the story is getting pretty weird now! There is a strange plan in the making and why was Lucius' letter to Draco so nice? You won't actually have to sit through the girly party between Ginny and Hermione, by the way, the craziness will happen before then. (spoiler?) Lol Well, next chpt. Ron will finally snap and a lot of weird things will happen next chapter! Thanks for reading! : )<strong>


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